Rain may be forecast across much of the UK this weekend, but we’re refusing to accept it’s the end of the heatwave.
To continue the summer vibes, we’ve gathered five simple cocktail recipes you can try at home that are guaranteed to keep you in the holiday spirit.
And if you’re peckish, here are five suppers for sunny evenings, too.
Pink Gin Slushie
This slushie from award-winning distillers Kintyre Gin is just for the grown-ups. We love that it only has two ingredients, plus a garnish, and can be prepared in advance.
Ingredients
35ml Kintyre Pink Gin (or another pink gin)
100ml Lemonade or tonic
Fresh raspberries to garnish
Method
Freeze your gin and mixer in a tub overnight. Serve in a glass, top up with a bit more mixer and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Paloma
A Paloma is a popular summer cocktail that looks as good as it tastes. This recipe come from tequila brand Maestro Dobel.
Ingredients
50ml Maestro Dobel Diamante (or another tequila)
15ml rose liqueur
15ml lime Juice
15ml orgeat syrup
30ml ruby red grapefruit juice
Rose buds and grapefruit to garnish
Method
Combine all ingredients into a shaker and add ice. Shake and strain into an ice filled glass. Garnish with rose buds and a grapefruit slice
Sicilian Fizz
For a taste of the Mediterranean, try this fresh recipe from vegan prosecco company The Emissary.
Ingredients
50ml cloudy apple juice
25ml vodka
15ml fish lemon juice
125ml The Emissary DOC (or another Prosecco)
Apple or lemon to garnish
Method
Mix the apple juice, vodka and lemon juice in a mixer with ice. Pour into a glass and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a slice of apple or lemon.
Summer White Russian
A white Russian is essentially a delicious, alcoholic iced coffee and what’s not to love about that? This recipe comes recommended by the drinks experts at The Bottle Club, who say white Russian searches are up a whopping 300% this summer. Their recipe inspiration is from Liquor.com.
Ingredients
2oz/59ml vodka
1 oz/29ml Kahlúa
One-two cocktail jiggers of heavy whipping cream* (depending on how creamy your preference dictates!). Can be swapped for coconut cream.
Method
Pour the vodka, Kahlúa and cream over ice. Stir and serve.
Passionfruit Margarita
This passion fruit margarita requires a little more work than some of the others, but the pay off is worth it. The recipe is from Wren Kitchens and it’s part of their collaboration with Tastehead, a food and beverage development agency.
Ingredients
22.5ml simple syrup
45ml passionfruit puree
60ml tequila
22.5ml Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
22.5ml lime juice
Plenty of ice
Slice of lime to garnish
Sea salt flakes for the rim of the glass
Method
1. To make a simple syrup, add equal parts of sugar and water to a pan on a medium heat. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved and remove it from the heat. Allow to cool completely before use.
2. Add the passionfruit puree to a blender or food processor with the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and simple syrup. Add 8-10 ice cubes and blend until smooth.
3. Cut a slice of lime and press it into the rim of a martini glass. Run the lime all the way around the rim, squeezing gently. Once the whole rim is rubbed with lime juice, save the slice of lime to use as a garnish.
4. Turn your glass over and dip the lime juice rim into a shallow dish of sea salt flakes.
5. Pour your blended mixture into the salt-rimmed glass, garnish with the slice of lime and serve.
